San Diego Argonauts’ Scale Boat Regatta

by Jeff Sparksworthy

On June 25th, 2016 a motley crew of Captains, First Mates, and Able Bodied Seapersons dared the submerged shoals, sandbars, shore batteries, volcanoes, and other obstacles to compete in the San Diego Argonauts’ Scale Boat Regatta at and in San Diego’s Vacation Island model boat pond.  Water locked landlubbers came all the way from Huntington Beach, Riverside, and San Bernardino for the chance to test their piloting skills in the salty brine of our pond. They were joined by a throng of spectators and other scale builders who were either sodium-averse or hydrophobic, but who nonetheless captured the imaginations on many a would be tar or future modeler.  In addition, Rob Wood of the near maniacal sect of battle pond enthusiasts was there to lend a hand and to try to induce other boaters to join his cult of like-minded sailors who actually plan on sinking their boats.

The awards, although rigged like a schooner, went to the following old salts:
In the Best of Class, the winners in each class are:

• Military – 1st place Mike Rivera, 2nd place Martin Bunch, 3rd place Jimmy Hawkins.
• In Workboats – 1st place Mike Rivera, 2nd place Tony G., 3rd place Frank Azucena.
• In Pleasure Crafts – 1st place Dave Manley; 2nd place Armando, 3rd place Dave Ender

In Navigation the winners were:

• 24″ or less – 1st place Ron Tindall.
• 36″ or less – 1st place Ron Tindall and 2nd place Art Grunow.
• In 36″or more – 1st place Mark Weber; 2nd place Armando, and 3rd place Armando (who this writer assumed everyone knew this fine gentleman’s last name).

The BEST of SHOW went to Mr. Tony G. (who, wishing to dodge the paparazzi and gold diggers, refused to provide last name).

The whole affair was deemed a smashing success – in no small part to the efforts of Rosemary Kapler who catered the event – knowing full well how cranky hungry sailors can be.  The only complaint was that the grog was watered down.

Additional logistics were provided by the future president of the Argonauts, young Master Dave Kaplar, who helped the old salts rinse off (and he cleaned their boats too!).  Jeff Sparksworthy and Vice Commodore David Alvarez ran the registration table and carefully cooked the scorekeeping books, as well as selling tickets, and making award plaques.

Special thanks are due to Rob Wood, Martin Bunch, David Manley, and Don Johnson for heading the judging. Thousands were raised in bribes alone!  Another big, calloused hand goes to galley slave Ron Tindall for rowing while Mark Weber set up islands and to Don Johnson for bringing them in.

We all deeply appreciate the continued support of John at Discount Hobby Warehouse and we all need to thank Jimmie Hawkins for his mystery raffle prize. Other donors include Mike Rivera’s for tools, Martin Bunch for kits, and Don Johnson for motors. A shout of “thanks” goes to all of the other named and anonymous prize donors.

The event seems to grow like a barnacle and yet to somehow get better every year, due in great part to the “all hands on deck” attitude of the scale division and to the support of our fellow obsessives in the sail division.  We even had some people crossing the once dangerous taboo between sail and motor driven groups. Perhaps we should have a shellback ceremony next year to welcome them to this side of the equator. Some intrepid sailors even made a mad dash to run their boats through the obstacle course under sail, although their comments can’t be printed in a family publication.

The Argonauts are looking forward to making next year’s regatta bigger and better with more entries, a submarine class, and a special category of heaviest AND ugliest boat to placate a certain obnoxious amateur builder.

Thanks to all who worked at and attended our event and my apologies to any and all who expected the full truth and nothing but the truth in this press release.

Want to see more stuff?

• Link to 2016 Scale Boat Summer Regatta announcement.
• Photos on Facebook.

The Scale Boat Division of the San Diego Argonauts is hosting a regatta!

• Date:   Saturday, June 25, 2016
• Time:  10:00-2:30pm
• Location:  San Diego Model Yacht Pond — Vacation Isle in Mission Bay
  (Approximate address is 100 Vacation Rd, San Diego, CA 92109)

What to Expect:

1. Navigation Course & Static Judging:
   • $5 per boat entry
   • Includes on skipper ticket
2. Lunch: $10 for food:
   • Rotisserie Chicken, Homemade Rice, Baked  Beans, Watermelon, Homemade Brownies  Cookies, Chips & Drink
   • Extra drinks: $1 each
3. Trading Tables: Bring your extra boats & parts
4. Raffle!
   • Must be present to win at 2:00pm
   • $1 for a raffle ticket
   • $5 for 6 raffle tickets
5. Remote controlled model boats!  Cool, cool scale boats!  Come check ’em out even if you don’t have one!

Details:  In 2015 we revived scale boat regattas in San Diego!  We had a great family-friendly event, and we’re planning another one for 2016.  Come on down to the San Diego Model Yacht Pond on Vacation Isle Park.

Parking:  Parking is free and first come first serve.  Park on north side of the pond.  Additional parking southeast of the pond.

Bring:  Bring your own table, chair & sun screen.  Bring a scale boat to run through our navigation course.  Bring money for lunch & raffle and spare stuff for trading.

Rinse Table:  Yup, the pond is saltwater.  It’s connected to the San Diego bay and is fed through the tide.  This keeps our pond like very few other.  Model boaters have been using this pond for 80+ years.  We just rinse our boats after use.  We’ll have a rinse table setup to make rinsing easier than ever.

RSVP is not necessary.  However, feel free to e-mail David Alvarez dalvarez2@san.rr.com with questions or to let us know you’ll be joining.  Or, let us know by checking on on:

• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1676970265852218/
• RCgroups:  http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2585455

Last year’s event was a total success!  Check out photos from our 2015 summer regatta here.

FLYERS:

• Flyer:  Download regatta flyer
• Lunch Notice:  Download Lunch notice

Big gun RC combat warships in the middle of Balboa Park?

The Battle Pond at San Diego Maker Faire was a huge hit. What a well oil machine/team the Western Warship Combat Club (WWCC) is!  The WWCC set up its Battle Pond in the middle of San Diego Maker Faire. Club members slugged it out shooting & sinking each other with up to 1/4″ steel balls.

Game play involved two teams targeting the other team’s convoy. Cargo ships were unarmed and captained by kids from the audience!

1:144 Scale Combat Ships present:

• USS Iowa
• HMS Hood
• HMS Rodney,
• HMS Kent class (7 ea.)
• Battleship Roma
• DKM Bismarck
• DKM Graf Spee
• DKM Deutschland
• DKM Z-23
• C-3 cargo ships (7 each)

Not only did a dozen guys & gals travel down from San Francisco, but they spent countless hours planning, transporting, and constructing the 72’x40′ Battle Pond.  Thursday, they and local volunteers built the pond itself. Friday was building polycarbonate shielding walls.

Many thanks to San Diego Argonauts volunteers Jeff Sparksworthy, David Alvarez, Greg Dawe, David Manley, Ken Wilson, Mark Weitzman, Socorro Weitzman, Jarod Black, and Zack Trahan!

After all that hard work, we had a private model boat pond in the middle of Balboa Park!

#sdmakerfaire

Photos from Thursday:

Photos from Friday:

Photos from Saturday:

Photos from Sunday:

Interested in RC combat?
Contact Rob Wood, Director and Producer of the Battle Pond
http://westernwarshipcombat.com
rwood@hypergold.com
650-678-2478
This is Battle Pond VIII. The culmination of 8 years of work.
Battle Pond is a Western Warship Combat Club, Inc. production. All rights reserved.

Wow, based on the awesome crowd and how nicely today went, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 15+ years since our last Scale Boat regatta at the pond. Awesome boats, great guys & gals, and a solid navigation course made for an excellent event.

Many thanks to all our volunteers who made the possible, to all the Sail Division guys who came to check out the scene, and to Neil Boyle of the Power Division of the San Diego Argonauts who was out volunteering at 6:30am!!

Many thanks: David Alvarez, Jeff Sparksworthy, and I made a solid trio planning this event. Rosemary did a great job with food. Thanks to little Davie for the boat rinse table. Thanks to David Manley, Don & Ryan Johnson, and Marty Bunch for judging. Charles, Ryan and Neil get awesome points for all the hard work setting up the course. Thanks to Discount Hobby, Mike Rivera, and Lew Johnson. Thanks to everyone else for helping staff tables and anyone else I’m forgetting.

More photos are here:

• www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2389023
• https://www.facebook.com/sandiegoargonauts

Awesome, awesome day!  Great scale boating.  Enjoy the photos.